Tag: Witchcraft

This year ritual is borrowed from Patti Wigniigton on About com. To read all the information for this please click on the following link: http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/lammas/ht/LammasSacrifice.htm

I am sorry for taking an easy way out but because of pain from a medical problem, I have been unable to write one for us this time. There will be only a circle cast this time and no Watchtowers. Some traditions of The Craft do not call the Watchtowers.

Remember ALL Pagans are welcome to attend.

“How To Hold a Lammas Harvest Ritual”

“In some Pagan traditions, Lammas is the time of year when the Goddess takes on the aspects of the Harvest Mother. The earth is fruitful and abundant, crops are bountiful, and livestock are fattening up for winter. However, the Harvest Mother knows that the cold months are coming, and so she encourages us to begin gathering up what we can. This is the season for harvesting corn and grain, so that we can bake bread to store and have seeds for next year’s planting.

Have a candle on your altar to represent the Harvest Mother — choose something in orange, red or yellow.

These colors not only represent the blaze of the summer sun, but also the coming changes of autumn. You’ll also need a few stalks of wheat and an un-sliced loaf of bread (homemade is best, but if you can’t manage, a store-bought loaf will do). A goblet of ritual wine is optional. Also, if you have celiac disease or are otherwise sensitive to gluten, be sure to readCelebrating Lammas When You Eat Gluten-Free.

The Wheel of the Year has turned once more,
and the harvest will soon be upon us.
We have food on our tables, and
the soil is fertile.
Nature’s bounty, the gift of the earth,
gives us reasons to be thankful.
Mother of the Harvest, with your sickle and basket,
bless me with abundance and plenty.

Hold the stalks of wheat before you, [You can print a pictur of wheat stalks from an online picture] and think about what they symbolize: the power of the earth, the coming winter, the necessity of planning ahead. What do you need help planning right now? Are there sacrifices you should be making in the present that will be reaped in the future?

Rub the stalks between your fingers so a few grains of wheat fall upon the altar [Cut the picture into small pieces]. Scatter them on the ground as a gift to the earth. If you’re inside, leave them on the altar for now — you can always take them outside later. Say:

The power of the Harvest is within me.
As the seed falls to the earth and is reborn each year,
I too grow as the seasons change.
As the grain takes root in the fertile soil,
I too will find my roots and develop.
As the smallest seed blooms into a mighty stalk,
I too will bloom where I landed.
As the wheat is harvested and saved for winter,
I too will set aside that which I can use later.

Tear off a piece of the bread [From your own loaf or slice of whole wheat, if you eat it or feed the rest to the wildlife,]. If you’re performing this ritual as a group, pass the loaf around the circle so that each person present can take off a small chunk of bread. As each person passes the bread, they should say:

I pass to you this gift of the first harvest[Type this in after you have tore off your own piece of bread]. When everyone has a piece of bread [Has typed in the above sentence], say:

Everyone eats their bread together. If you have ritual wine [or your chosen beverage take a drink symbolic of passing it around] pass it around the circle for people to wash the bread down. Once everyone has finished their bread], take a moment to meditate on the cycle of rebirth and how it applies to your own life – physically, emotionally, spiritually. When you are ready, if you have cast a circle, close it or dismiss the quarters at this time. Otherwise, simply end the ritual in the manner of your tradition.

Merry meet and merry greet. The coven gathering is open to any witch who would like to attend. It is being held on Saturday, MArch 19, 2016 at 7:00 PM CT. For more information go to the Home page on Covenlife.co and scroll down to the announcement for this gathering.

Ostara is the start of spring when day and night are in perfect balance. It is the time when the Triple Goddess starts out as a Maiden and conceives her child. The eggs represent this quickening of the womb. The Ying/Yang symbol represents the male and female energy all living things have inside of them.It is a time to plant your seeds to nurture them into seedlings to plant on or around Beltane when the Triple Goddess enters the Mother aspect.

Below are the things that should be prepared ahead of time for our ritual. I suggest not making the eggs more than 2 days in advance because we will be eating them during the ritual.

1-8×11 Inch Piece of Plain White Paper – With Ying/Yang Symbol Drawn on it. I suggest using a dessert plate to draw the circle on the paper and then cutting around the outside of the mark.

Holes cut out to fit 1 egg in large part of each side of the symbol. I suggest using a shot glass or something the same size to draw th circles, then cut inside the lines. Keep circles you cut out. One should be colored the lighter color and the other the darker one (you will be taping them back into the Ying/Yang symbol.

When coloring the eggs and Ying/Yang symbol use the lighter shade on one side and 1 egg. Then use darker side to do other side of symbol and egg.

Black Sharpie or similar Marker to write on the eggs with.

Before the ritual the eggs should be colored, the Ying/Yang symbol drawn and colored. Cut the circles out of each side of the symbol to nestle the eggs in. The reason for putting the opposite color egg into the symbols is to show how if it is the masculine side they have some feminine qualities and vise versa.

Below will be a drawing of what each step in making the symbol and eggs will look like. My drawing with the Paint program on my computer is not that good but at least it will give you an idea of what I am talking about above.

Mark each egg with as many runes as needed to convey your wishes/goals for yourself to sprout and grow thought out the summer and to be harvested in the fall. Below is a list of one type of runes and their common meanings. You can find other types of runes by doing a search on Google.com or Bing.com

ITEMS NEEDED FOR RITUAL:

First should have all ritual items as close to your computer as possible, so you can follow along with ritual easily.

Prepared Ying/Yang Symbol

2 Prepared Hard Bile Eggs

1-3 inch Black Candle

1-3 inch Yellow Candle

Plate or something to put egg shells on

Something to save egg shells in -you will be “planting” these either in your garden outside or in a pot inside with some type of seeds (flower or leafy plant or a vegetable- whatever kind of seed is your choice) You can refrigerate or freeze egg shells until you are ready to plant them on Beltane.The egg shells will help nourish what ever seeds or plant you chose to use them with.

Any questions about this post? Please email Lady Beltane at ladybeltane@aol.com

The actual ritual will be posted one week before our gathering in the post that has the date, time and place. Just scroll down this page to find it.

Anyone is welcomed to join us!

WHEN:

TIME:

The Sacred Circle starts at 6:15 PM CT SHARP. Please be considerate and be on time or wait until 7:00 PM CT to join us for visiting after the circle has been opened!

WHERE:

Coven Life Chat Room

For information on how to find and get into the chat room or to figure out your local time please check out the banner on the left side of Coven Life Home Page.

PLAN FOR THE CIRCLE

Plan for the gathering will be posted at least one week before the gathering.

Just because it says coven does not mean you have to be in the coven to attend. All Pagans are welcome to join us! If you have any questions about the gathering please email stregga@ I look forward to many of us coming together to celebrate this wonderful Sabbat.

Smudging Rituals

While burning incense is traditionally associated with Wicca and other forms of contemporary Witchcraft, the practice of smudging has been used in sacred rituals around the globe since ancient times. Both incense and smudging involve the use of dried herbs, but incense is usually made from a more complex blend of powdered herbs, oils, resins, and bark, which creates a richer, more perfume-like scent. Incense is often an ingredient in spellwork, and various types of incense have specific correspondences with particular magical purposes. Smudging, on the other hand, is usually done before spellwork, and generally has a singular purpose: purifying the energy of a space, or a person.

The particular herbs used may depend on the reason for the purification, which can range from healing from a physical illness to eliminating negative, “haunted” energy from a house. (Incense can also be used for purification, but because it doesn’t tend to burn as cleanly as simple dried herbs, many Witches prefer smudging for this purpose.)

These days, you can find smudge sticks— bundles of dried herbs tied with string— at most New Age shops, as well as other places where medicinal herbs are sold.These are easy to handle and tend to last a long time, so they can be used repeatedly.

However, you can also burn loose sprigs of dried herbs for a “single use” smudge, which requires a bit more caution, but allows you to choose exactly which herb( s) you want to burn, depending on your purpose. (The two workings described below make use of loose herbs, but you can substitute a pre-made smudge stick if you prefer.)

The easiest way to approach smudging with loose herbs is to find sprigs of the dried herbs, ideally four inches long at a minimum, that you can hold with your fingertips. However, you can also place the herbs inside a fire-proof dish, and then place the dish in a skillet, using the handle of the skillet to carry the smoldering herbs. Whichever method you choose, be sure to thank the spirits of the herbs before lighting them. Remember that it’s the smoke from the herbs that does the cleansing, so only light them enough to get them smoldering, rather than trying to set them completely on fire. As with anything involving flame, use extreme caution. And if you’re working indoors, be sure to leave at least one window cracked open so that the energy being removed from the space has a way to get out.

When the smudging is finished, you can put out the burning herbs in a pot of soil or leave them to burn out on their own in a heat-proof dish. Many smudging traditions use a feather to fan the smoke around the space, or over the person, being purified. This is symbolic of the element of Air.

Likewise, many use a sea shell to catch the ashes from the smoldering herbs, which honors the element of Water. (Earth and Fire are already represented by the herbs and the flame.)

Whether you incorporate these items is up to you— you can also use your hand to wave the smoke around, and a bowl to catch the ashes, if you like.

Ever Wonder Where The Grimoire Came From & Why We Keep One?

The religious practices upon which Wicca is partially based were primarily an oral tradition passed down to neophytes by more experienced practitioners. It’s said that small groups of practitioners met in secret and would possess little knowledge of the whereabouts or practices of other groups. This was done for protection, so that if one group was discovered there would be no way for the members to reveal or disclose the whereabouts of other practitioners. Unfortunately, this fragmented approach has left us severely wanting in the area of verifiable information. It is very difficult to piece together the rites and rituals of an oral tradition when the practitioners are scattered and disjointed and few written records exist. Consider this excerpt from the Preface to the Book of Shadows as recorded by Doreen Valiente, who adapted selected works of Gerald Gardner, considered by many to be the father of modern Wicca:

Keep a book in your own hand of write. Let brothers and sisters copy what they will; but never let the book out of your hands and never keep the writings of another, for if found in their hand of write they may well be taken and tortured. Each shall guard his own writing and destroy it whenever danger threatens. Learn as much as you may by heart, and when danger is past, rewrite your book if it be safe. For this reason, if any die, destroy their book if they have not been able to for an’ it be found ‘tis clear proof against them, and “ye may not be a witch alone,” so all their friends be in danger of torture. So destroy everything not necessary. If your book be found on you ‘tis clear proof against you alone and you may be tortured. Keep all thoughts of the cult from your mind an’ say you had bad dreams, a devil caused you to write this without your knowledge. Think to yourself “I know nothing. I remember nothing. I have forgotten all.” Drive this into your mind …

While this preface has never been proven to be authentic, it is certainly a fascinating representation of the threat of capture that many witches experienced.

When so much information is missing, it becomes our responsibility to rewrite the rituals and legends as they relate to our modern experience. We may never go back, only forward.

PLAN FOR THE CIRCLE

Just because it says coven does not mean you have to be in the coven to attend. All Pagans are welcome to join us! If you have any questions about the gathering please email me at ladybeltane@aol.com I look forward to many of us coming together to celebrate this wonderful Sabbat.

INITIATIONS

Initiations

(Part 1)

When witchcraft became an underground organisation, the Craft of the Wise, it shared a characteristic common to all secret societies. Admission to it was by initiation.

Such initiation required the newly admitted member to swear a solemn oath of loyalty. When witchcraft was punishable by torture and death, such an oath was a serious matter. Today, when witchcraft has become like Freemasonry, not a secret society but a society with secrets, the idea of initiation still remains.

Initiations into witch circles nowadays take varying forms, as they probably always did. However, the old idea that initiation must pass from the male to the female, and from the female to the male, still persists. A male with must be initiated by a woman, and a female witch by a man. This belief may be found in other forms, in traditional folklore. For instance, the words of healing charms are often required to be passed on from a man to a woman, or from a woman to a man. Otherwise, the charm will have no potency.

There is also an old and deep-seated belief, both in Britain and in Italy, that witches cannot die until they have passed on their power to someone else. This belief in itself shows that witchcraft has been for centuries an initiatory organization, in which a tradition was handed on from one person to another.

The exception to the rule that a person must be initiated by one of the opposite sex, occurs in the case of a witch’s own children. A mother may initiate her daughter, or a father his son.

In general, for their own protection, covens have made a rule that they will not accept anyone as a member under the age of 21. Witches’ children are presented as babies to the Old Gods, and then not admitted to coven membership until they have reached their majority.

This rule became general in the terms of persecution. Secrecy upon which people’s lives depended was too great a burden for children’s shoulders to bear. It is evident, from the stories of witch persecutions, that witch-hunters realized how witchcraft was handed down in families. Any blood relative of a convicted witch was suspect.

The witch-hunting friar, Francesco-Maria Guazzo, in his ‘Compendium Maleficarum’ (Milan, 1608, 1626; English translation edited Montague Summers, London, 1929), tells us that “it is one among many sure and certain indications against those accused of witchcraft, if one of their parents were founded guilty of this crime”. When the infamous Matthew Hopkins started his career as Witch- Finder General, the first victim he seized upon was an old woman whose mother had been hanged as a witch.

There are a number of fragmentary accounts of old-time witch initiations, and from these a composite picture can be built up. The whole-hearted acceptance of the witch religion, and the oath of loyalty, were the main features. There was also the giving of a new name, or nick-name, by which the novice was henceforth to be known in the novice was given a certain amount of instruction, and, if the initiation took place at a Sabbat, as it often did, they were permitted to join in the feast and dancing that followed.

In some cases, in the days of really fierce persecution, a candidate was also required to make a formal renunciation of the official faith of the Christian Church, and to fortify this by some ritual act, such as trampling on a cross. This was to ensure that the postulant was no hypocritical spy; because such a one would not dare to commit an act which he or she would believe to be a mortal sin. Once the postulant had formally done such an act, they had in the eyes of the Church damned themselves, and abandoned them-selves to hellfire; so it was a real test of sincerity, and an effective deterrent to those who wanted to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds. Such acts are not, however, to my knowledge, required of witches today.

One of the ritual acts recorded as being part of a witch initiation is that described by Sir George Mackenzie, writing in 1699 about witchcraft in Scotland, in his book ‘Laws and Customs of Scotland” (Edinburgh, 1699): “The Slemnity confest by our Witches, is the putting one hand to the crown of the Head, and another to the sole of the Foot, renouncing thier Baptism in that posture.” Joseph Glanvill’s book ‘Sadducismus Triumphatus’ (London, 1726), had a frontispiece of pictures illustrating various stories of mysterious happenings, and one of these old woodcuts shows a witch in the act of doing this.

Her initiation is taking place out of doors, in some lonely spot between two big trees. With her are three other women, one of whom seems to be presenting her to the devil, who appears as the conventional figure of a horned and winged demon. In practice, however, the devil of the coven was a man dressed in black, who was sometimes called the Man in Black, for this reason. The “grand array” of the horned mask, etc., was only assumed upon special occasions.

A variant of this ritual was for the Man in Black to lay his hand upon the new witch’s head, and bid her to “give over all to him that was under his hand”. This, too, is recorded from Scotland, in 1661. Information about the initiation of men into witchcraft is much less than that referring to women. However, here is an account from the record of the trial of William Barton at Edinburgh, about 1655, evidently partly in his words and partly in those of his accusers, which tells how a young woman witch took a fancy to him, and initiated him:

One day, says he, going from my own house in Kirkliston, to the Queens Ferry, I over-took in Dalmeny Muire, a young Gentlewoman, as to appearance beautiful and comely. I drew near to her, but she shunned my company, and when I insisted, she became angry and very nyce. Said I, we are both going one way, be pleased to accept of a convoy. At last after much entreaty she grew better natured, and at length came to that Familiarity, that she suffered me to embrace her, and to do that which Christian ears ought not to hear of. At this time I parted with her very joyful. The next night, she appeared to him in that very same place, and after that which should not be named, he became sensible, that it was the devil. Here he renounced his baptism, and gave up himself to her service, and she called him her beloved and gave him this new name of John Baptist, and received the Mark.

The Devil’s make was made much of by professional witch-hunters, being supposed to be an indelible make given by the devil in person to each witch, upon his or her initiat-ion. However, it would surely have been very foolish of the devil to have marked his followers in this way, and thus indicated a means by which they might always be known. From the confused descriptions given at various times and places, it seems evident that the witch-hunters knew there was some ceremony of marking, but did not know what it was.

In witchcraft ceremonies today, the new initiate is marked with oil, wine, or some pigment, such as charcoal. However, as Margaret Murray has pointed out, there is a possibility, judging by the many old accounts of small red or blue markings being given, the infliction of which was painful but healed after a while, that this may have been a tattoo mark. Ritual tattooing is a very old practice; and some relics of this survive today, in the fact that people have themselves tattooed with various designs ‘for luck’. However, when persecution became very severe, it would have been unwise to continue this form of marking.

The most up-to-date instance I have heard, of the marking of new initiates, is the practice of a certain coven in Britain today, which uses eyeshadow for this purpose; because it is available in pleasing colours, is easily washed off, and does no harm to the skin. One wonders what old-time witches would think of it!

Initiation

(Part 2)

To become a witch you must have a natural inclination to worship the Old Gods. It must be a feeling which springs from the heart and carries you on towards your goal, in exactly the same way it happened to the first witches thousands of years ago.

The approach must be in this manner. Any other attitude, such as vulgar curiosity, a desire for power over others, or the selfish intention of using magic to gain material ends, will only end in failure and disillusion.

The Old Gods are ancient archetypal images of the divine powers behind all Nature. They are the oldest gods known to man. Pictures of them are painted all over Europe and show the great influence they had, even at the Dawn of Time.

Just because they are so old, is no reason to believe they are in any way ‘out of date’. Our ancestors were no fools: their way of life and their culture is gaining more and more respect as the years go by. Continuous discoveries about their skills and beliefs growing admiration and amazement.

Their deities were a Mother Goddess and a Horned God, representing the twin forces of life: male and female, light and dark, positive and negative, Sun and Moon, etc. These complimentary aspects in nature are ‘fact’ and cannot be disputed. And, because the Gods are true representations of the divine powers behind all manifestation, they have endured through millennia, and will always endure.

Unlike many other religions, where contact with divinity is sought through prayer and meditation, witchcraft teaches development of the soul through the Eight Paths of the Witches’ Wheel. These ways are part of the Western Mystery Tradition. The West and the East are two very different places. Eastern religions teach their followers to look ‘within’ for enlightenment, and although the West uses this method in meditation, it is only ‘one’ of the Eight Paths. The Western mind looks ‘outward’ and seeks spiritual grace by helping others. Thus, the witches use their powers to help those in sickness or trouble.

The Awakening can begin as an urge which rises from the depths of the soul. A state of boredom or desperation, which every human being comes to at some point of incarnation, can become as a beacon to the spirit. It is born to the struggling soul and to the complacent alike. Many lives may be endured before it is realized that the true self must take the initiative and begin to fight its own way out of the Cycles of Incarnation, which, without the control of the Higher Self, may continue indefinitely. Once the realization is born, and the quest begun, the soul is on its way from manhood to godhood.

Regarding the Craft, it is wise to seek initiation from a ‘genuine’ coven. This is not as easy as it sounds, as genuine adherents do not seek converts, and therefore do not advertise for members. they believe that if a person is sincere and determined enough in their desire to belong to the Craft, they will, sooner or later, make contact.

There are, however, various ways of speeding things up a little, such as contributing to one of the privately printed occult magazines, which are usually run by people ‘in the know’. Or even placing a small advert in one of these papers. You can also write to the author of a book on the subject, and send the letter via the publishers. It might then be forwarded to a coven in your area, although I must add here that even if this happens, and you are invited to meet someone from a coven, it would not be indicative of entry.

There are certain conditions which have to be fulfilled, such as blending in with the personalities of the members, having read widely on the subject, a willingness to submit to a waiting period, usually a year and a day, among others. Yet these conditions are valid ones; you cannot expect to be accepted quickly, but you will know that the witches you meet have undergone similar obstacles themselves.

The ways of the witches are those of caution, especially where strangers are concerned. After all, who would admit a stranger to their home without an introduction, let alone to a temple of the Mysteries.

Care must be taken, too, in finding a coven which is in close ‘rapport’ with your own life-style, culture and character. But, once contact is made, there is hope in finding a group where conditions, on both sides, can be fulfilled.

Although some covens wear robes, the traditional way of working in the Circle, is to be sky-clad, or naked. When you are brought into the Craft, you enter as you were born, without clothes or ties of any kind. The first initiation is virtually an introduction to a new way of life. You are made a ‘Child of the Goddess’; you are shown the tools of the Craft; told the ways of working magic, and made to swear an oath to keep the secrets of the Art. This is called the First Degree.

The Second Degree is the initiation proper. This involves the concept of symbolic death and symbolic resurrection, when you are re-born with the new magical personality. A new name (of your own choice) is given to you which represents the transformation, and by which, henceforth, you will be known when in the Circle.

The drama of this mystery play implants its ideas firmly in the subconscious mind of the adherent, and the mystery, which is enacted on the material plane, sets the seal on the future. It is not to be supposed that by initiation and teaching you will automatically be ‘re-born’. A way will be shown, and knowledge imparted, yet the journey is always ‘alone’ and the true ‘will’ tested to the very brink of breaking point.

In a sense, when initiation takes place it is very much like daring Fate to do its worst. One has taken a stand: “I announce to all creation that I will endure to progress.”

In witchcraft the soul develops a deeper understanding of ‘being’. This entails practice, which is why the Craft has grades of advancement. The highest grade is the consummation of the mysteries, where ritual yields to what is termed, ‘The Secret of the Silver Wheel’. There is also the imparting of certain ‘secret’ words, which, in themselves, convey very little, but their secret intention ‘is’ important and gently ‘nudges’ the aspirant onward.

Solitary Practice

Some witches prefer to practice alone instead of being with a group of witches. This could be because the solitary practice is more suitable to their knowledge, experience, lifestyle, purposes, and temperament. However, even if these witches practice witchcraft alone, they can still join covens if only for the purpose of celebrating Sabbaths or other occasions. Some witches, on the other hand, may start practicing alone for a certain period of time and then later join a coven.

More often than not, it can be easy to choose the path of solitary practice especially if one is a seasoned witch. However, if you are a beginner, you may find it lonesome to practice alone. In addition, you need to put extra effort into practicing witchcraft properly if you are alone given that nobody will guide you on what you should do.

Conversely, solitary practice allows you to discover and hone your own witchcraft style instead of adopting the ideology of an established coven.

Solitary witches follow some guidelines, which can help them in practicing successfully and safely. These guidelines are also applicable for beginners in the Wiccan way.

When you are practicing witchcraft alone, you may need to gather different resources in order to acquire insights as well as perspectives that may help you learn and become proficient. Resources include books, articles, and other forms of reference. However, it is not enough that you merely study about witchcraft. You need to apply what you learn. As such, it is advisable to set a schedule, which can make witchcraft a part of your daily routine. You have to practice regularly in order to develop your skills.

Solitary practice involves regular meditation for improving your adherence to your higher self and enhancing your mental focus. You can also start with simple spells and rituals until such time that you think you are ready for more complex ones. It is also advisable to keep a manual or diary of your work and experiences so you have something to refer to in the future.

Once you have spent time acquiring the knowledge you need to learn and to practice witchcraft alone, you will have a more accurate idea of the types of magic or skills that appeal to you and suit you the most.